Sean Frank (Ridge CEO) says his payroll is 7% of revenue — here’s the actual lean-team checklist behind it

Most operators think 15% payroll-to-revenue is already lean. Sean Frank, CEO of Ridge, runs at 7%.

The mechanism behind it isn't magic — it's structural. Shopify replaces the web dev team. Meta's algorithm replaces a chunk of the acquisition team. AI is increasingly absorbing CX. What's left is a much smaller, more specific team: product, creative, a couple of ops people.

He also laid out the product-selection framework that makes small teams viable at scale: consumable, strong LTV, small SKU count, massive TAM, 75%+ gross margin, and eventual mass-retail access (Target/Walmart/Costco — "the only three that matter," per Frank). Grüns is the example he lands on — already checking every box, already on shelves at Sprouts.

If you're the one holding together someone else's growth machine with a bloated team you never fully agreed to — this is worth fifteen minutes of your attention.

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